Invitation to Synchronization Research: Functions, Structures, Methods, and Prospects

Abstract

This tutorial explains behavioral synchrony, a phenomenon often observed in human interactions. Research on this subject emerged as late as the 1960s, revealing its adaptive functions including fa-cilitation and confirmation of rapport and social cohesion. Behavioral synchrony is further concep-tualized as a self-organizing stable pattern arising from the coupling between an individual and en-vironment through perceptual information. Additionally, for beginners in the field, this paper intro-duces fundamental methodologies and analytical tools for studying synchrony. It also describes the experimental design employed in one of the author’s previous studies, offering an example of syn-chrony research. Finally, as a perspective on research concerning behavioral synchrony and related higher-level concepts (coordination), this paper discusses its relationship with skill science and fu-ture challenges.